04 - week four

[afflictionmods]

WEEK FOUR

Saturday comes to a close, and it’s time for some rest and recovery. Perhaps the TLC you deserve will come this week, or perhaps the nightmare will continue. It’s hard to say with things being so strange around you, from Wei Wuxian’s disappearance to the sudden addition of objects and places and creatures from your homes. Who knows what this week will bring? Nothing ordinary, that’s for sure.

You wake up on Sunday to an increase in those little glimpses you saw yesterday. What were snippets of songs, locations that might’ve seemed familiar, and creatures that were dormant, are now all alive and whole. When you go to the karaoke bar, the songs you once knew are there. Monsters and animals are alive and sentient. New business are abound. Vehicles are operable, and perhaps some of your old belongings are back, too.

However, some of these things aren’t even things that should exist outside of your dreams. They may be far too strange and unusual to be real, or just things you don't remember ever seeing. The only thing you remember about these things in particular is that they were, quite literally, in your dreams this week.

That being said, every few hours, all of these things from your homes and dreams fade out and get replaced by new sounds, places, beasts….only to maybe come back again at another time.

Well. At least there's one constant here: You’ve got a handful of new locations to look at, with the fog having spread once more, and they aren't going anywhere. There aren’t as many new places that are native to Estelline this time around, but that may be for the best, considering everything going on.


SETTING TRACKER

SUNDAY MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAY THURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY

NEWSPAPER SUBMISSIONS + EDITION #1

SAGE / FLORENCE / LORELEI

MEM SHARE DETAILS

OOC NOTE

OOC: Details on this week can be found here!

Also, we have a lot of participants for the news activity from last week. Neat! Everyone who participated in some capacity will have a small polaroid camera delivered to their doorstep. There's limited film, though - 10 photos per camera. It doesn't seem like there's any extra film at this time, either.

Finally, there will not be any weekly tasks this week. You guys are going to be busy with memshare and dreamscape stuff; instead, enjoy the Estelline University Newspaper!

FULL NAV

(CODE)

Comments

[undertakings]

[The orange chassis is as hard and metallic as one might expect, and it’s probably pretty difficult to tell what Fido is thinking, but it lowers its body in a gesture akin to a dog laying down to rest. The optical sensor flickers briefly at the newcomer emerging from the tent, but it remains still otherwise.

Meanwhile, Shin is half-wondering if he would’ve gotten bitten if he’d went inside the tent. Sir, that’s a wolf??]

...Is that yours?

[selfconcept]

[ ...

Huen turns to look at the wolf that's not stretching its legs inside the blanket. ]

I guess so.

[ His wolf now. ]

Is Fido another war tool programmed to be like a dog?

[undertakings]

[That answer is not entirely reassuring but the wolf is also not actively attempting to maul them right now, so you know what, whatever.

Also Hien, how many war tools programmed like dogs do you know of......]

No, he’s unarmed. But he and the others like him accompany us to the battlefield to help with resupplying and picking up scrap for recycling. They’re not programmed to act like this... [A shrug.] Fido’s just different.

[And though he looks indifferent as ever as he says this, a hint of fondness creeps into his voice.]

[selfconcept]

[ grandpa has committed crimes, son

Hien can tell the difference when there's a little fondness within the tone—he does it all the time. He looks at Fido with newfound appreciation and pets him more. ]

He really is like a loyal companion.

[ Especially if Fido gets Shin of all people to show some sort of fondness.

The wolf trudges over to the furthest corner of the tent to eat out of a bowl on the floor. What it's eating seems to be a mystery since it isn't very visible from the outside perspective. ]

You hear that, Fido? You're such a good boy.

[undertakings]

[how arful

Fido raises and lowers itself on its front legs again at the praise, making a chirpy beep as it does so.]

I've known him for a long time.

[The wolf moving around in there draws Shin's attention back to the odd choice of living spaces(??) though, and he leans over slightly to peek inside again.]

Why are you inside this tent, anyway?

[selfconcept]

I dunno how it came to be, but it appeared in the courtyard on Sunday. This tent... I've lived in it for many years and staying in it feels nice. I remember the time that I spent with... him, before he died.

[ If Shin remembers when Hien told him that he doesn't have a reason to smile because he recently had a kid-like-a-son-to-him pass away, it would be exactly that person Hien is talking about. ]

[undertakings]

[He does remember, because it struck him as a rather odd thing to say at the time to someone who was little more than a stranger. Even now, he wasn't entirely sure what to make of it.]

How did the two of you meet?

cw suicidal ideation, suicide attempt

[selfconcept]

I found him in the snow.

[ ... ]

He was dying. Thought it'd be good if he was gone. Nonsense. I didn't let him.

[undertakings]

[...]

I see. So you decided to adopt him?

[selfconcept]

Something like that. No official paperwork or anything, but I decided to take care of him. The living situation was hard for him, but it was what he wanted. That's why we lived in this tent for several years.

[undertakings]

[There's a pretty clear elephant in the room here, what with the obvious blood painting the side of the tent and knowledge that this person died recently. But these sorts of stories belonged to the person who owned them, and it was up to them if they wanted to share or not. But, at the least...]

What was his name?

[selfconcept]

... Ren.

[ The wolf quietly pads up next to Hien and blows air out of its nose and yawns. Hien carefully and gently pets its head, scratching it behind the ears. ]

I couldn't do anything...

[undertakings]

[Fido appears to droop a bit at the heavy atmosphere, making a soft beep at Hien's clear despondency.

Shin, for his part, finally enters the tent and seats himself right beside the entrance, enough to barely count as being inside. And although he doesn't say anything else, he makes himself comfortable where he's seated and glances over. It's as close of an invitation to talk as he'll give, but he's fine with sitting in silence too.]

[selfconcept]

[ Hien is surprised when Shin finally walks inside the tent and sits. Unfortunately, his throat feels clogged with words that he can't release. It feels incredibly stuffy. Does he want to say them or not?

... ]

This place gave out the present I wanted to give him for his birthday. It somehow ended up in my partner's hands, but I told him I didnt want it back.

[undertakings]

Why?

[He can guess at a few reasons why someone might not want to carry something like that, but...]

[selfconcept]

It was a present, but the recipient is no longer alive. I don't think I can handle... keeping that in my possession.

[undertakings]

[From how Fai held onto his own scarf until he found its owner, he can't imagine Fai getting rid of it, especially knowing it belonged to Hien. But to Shin, there was no appreciable difference in ownership when they shared a room and the book would have remained within meters of Hien anyway. And so.]

If that's the case, why didn't you throw it away?

[selfconcept]

[ Hien stays silent, staring into space for a long time. ]

... I dunno. It was a gift, but even if I have no one to give it to, I can't throw it away.

[ There's definitely a melancholic vibe surrounding him now. ]

I didn't have much time to grieve either. I came here, not even ten minutes after he died.